1. Networks Bring More Resources into the Classroom Encouraging Team Teaching.
From the beginning of schooling, technology has made it possible for more and more people to play significant roles in the classroom. From books and pictures to programs and multi-media, the possibility of partnerships with educators who are not physically present in the classroom has increased. With the advent of the Internet, we are seeing increased participation of others in the instructional activities of the classroom.
2. Networks Make it Possible for Students to Leave the Classroom Encouraging Student Participation in the Community.
The second issue inverses the first. Children are in school to learn to be productive members of the community. The relationship between children and society has changed over time. One of the current functions of school is to protect children from abuse suffered at the hands of exploiting capitalists. Yet there is much to gain from apprenticeships and participation in "communities of practice." The Internet allows students to reach beyond the classroom and participate in a range of community and professional activities while remaining in a location where their intellectual growth and physical safety is monitored by a teacher.
Return to Internet & the Humanities, the Human Side of Networking
Comments?
Margaret Riel (mriel@iearn.org).